If all you are doing will be working on a video cassette, then common sense
use of small screwdrivers and sticky tape will be all that is needed. :)

However, if the cover of the VCR needs to be removed, there will be a few
additional precautions though most of these disappear if the VCR is unplugged
from the electric outlet (or in the case of a camcorder, the battery pack
is removed.

Once you remove the cover(s) of a VCR (ignoring the warnings about no user
serviceable parts, etc.), there are some risks to you and your VCR.
You also, of course, void the warranty (at least in principle). Therefore,
if the unit is still under warranty, having it serviced professionally may
be your wisest option.

Since nearly everything described below can and should be done with the plug
pulled from the outlet, there is little danger to you electrically as long as
you stay away from the power supply (usually where the cord connects) where
some large capacitors may retain a charge for as much as few minutes.

There are, however, various sharp sheet metal brackets which will be out to
attach you if you reach into the bowels of the VCR. Just be aware of this
hazard as you poke and prod (but only where directed!).

To avoid damage to the VCR, don't turn anything you don't understand fully
and stay away from the video drum (the roughly 2.5 inch diameter cylinder
mounted on an angle (this is normal, don't use Vise Grips in an attempt
to straighten it out!!!). The reason is that the parts of the VCR that scans
the tape - the video heads - are very fragile being little chips of ferrite -
a brittle ceramic material.

Once a VCR becomes hungry or a long neglected tape turns to a pile of what
looks more like adhesive tape, there is no guarantee that the situation can
be resolved with damaged to either the VCR or partial or total loss of
irreplacible family memories. For tapes you consider to be really valuable
(or just those Tom and Jerry cartoons you treasure!), consider a professional
video recovery service. They won't be cheap but will probably have a better
chance of success than you will if you've never seen the inside of a VCR or
cassette before.

We will not be responsible for damage to equipment, your ego, county wide
power outages, spontaneously generated mini (or larger) black holes, planetary
disruptions, or personal injury or worse that may result from the use of this
material.

Introduction

This document is intended to address those problems with your VCR that
just cannot wait. For detailed troubleshooting and repair procedures,
refer to "Notes on the Troubleshooting and Repair of Video Cassette
Recorders" which is also available at this site. Most of the information
in this article is a subset of what in in that document.

It is a common experience - the rental movie is due back at the video
store **now** but no matter how you press the EJECT button, yell, scream,
hold your breath, or jump up and down, the cassette refuses to be appear.

This section only deals with getting the cassette out without damaging either
your (or the video store's) valuable recording or VCR.

Under no circumstances should you force anything - both your tape and your
VCR will be history! If the rental tape really needs to be go back and you
are unable or unwilling to risk going into your VCR, explain the situation
to the video store - they would rather you get it out in such a way that it
is not damaged just as much as you do.

First, see if the VCR just got into a confused state - pull the plug and
patiently wait a minute or two. This will seem like an eternity but may
reset the microcontroller and all will be well. These things happen.

If this is not successful, you will need to open up the VCR (unplug it first!)
and attempt to cycle the mechanisms by hand. Probably, both the top and bottom
covers will need to be removed. This will require a medium size philips
screwdriver. There are usually 2 to 4 screws on top and 2 to 10 screws on the
bottom. Don't be tempted to turn anything you see in there just yet!

CAUTION: Do not plug the VCR into the AC outlet while in the middle of this
treament as there is no telling what it will do. The end result might be more
of a mess than what you had originally! The VCR might in its infinite wisdom
decide to complete the eject cycle but catch the tape on some guidepost or
crinkle it in some other creative manner.

The following procedures assume that there are no broken parts, foreign
objects, or other damage which might prevent manual cycling of the tape
loading and cassette loading mechanism. (Inspect for toys and rocks.) Also
note that some VCR designs use solenoids to engage various operations. This
will complicate your task (to put it mildly) as locating and activating the
proper ones at the appropriate time is, well, a treat.

Please refer to the photo: Typical VHS VCR Tape
Transport Components for parts
identification. (Photo courtesy of: Brian Siler (bsiler@PROMUS.com).) This
VCR is shown in the fully unloaded position. The roller guides are in their
retracted position. The cassette itself and cassette mechanism (called the
basket or carriage) have been removed. Assuming that your cassette is in and
down in the loaded position, its front-end would be just covering the roller
guides, backtension arm, and capstan.

Tape unloading: The first step is to determine if the tape has been
unloaded from the video head drum back into the cassette. If the tape is
fully retracted into the cassette - there is no tape showing, then go on to
step (2). If not, you will need to figure out which shaft or pulley
to turn to unload the tape. Trace the linkage or gears that move the
roller guide assemblies back to their motor - it may be the main capstan
motor or a separate small motor used only for this purpose. (The roller
guide assemblies include a white (usually) ceramic roller on a vertical
post along side a funny looking tilted guidepost. They slide on tracks
on either side of the video head drum and position the tape wrapped around
the video drum.). Rotate this in the direction which moves the roller
guides back towards the cassette.

It will take many revolutions - be persistent. If you feel any significant
resistance or the roller guides move out toward the drum, turn the other
way. The tape is fully unloaded when the roller guides are all the way
into the cassette and the tape is straight across the cassette's
stationary guideposts.

If turning the shaft is impossible, you can disconnect the wire leads going
to the motor from the circuit board and apply 6 to 12 VDC from a battery,
power supply, or wall adapter directly to the motor. It is essential to
disconnect the motor completely to prevent damage to the circuitry in other
parts of the VCR. Take care - reverse the connections if it seems to spin
in the wrong direction and don't let it force anything. Motion should be
smooth.

If a single motor performs both the tape loading and cassette loading
functions, stop turning as soon as you see the cassette start to rise
and read the next section before proceeding.

If you are not fully successful or if there is still a tape loop outside
the cassette even once you have been turning for what seems to be an
eternity, you can still try to eject the cassette but will need to be
extra careful not to crinkle the tape as the cassette door closes with
the tape sticking out. Before proceeding on in this case, try to find
a way to turn one of the reels to pull that tape back in as this will
make your task a lot easier. There may be an idler that swings between
the two reels and this may be accessible from the bottom (the cassette
will block it on top).

Sometimes, if for some reason the tape in the cassette is a bit loose when
you go to insert it into the VCR, the tape may jump over a guide post or
the pinch roller as the cassette is lowered into position. This tape will
then get caught when the VCR goes to eject the cassette - it may come half
way out and get hang up on the tape loop. The VCR then tries in vain to
complete the eject sequence but gives up after a few seconds. It then
either just shuts down or pulls the cassette back into position on the
transport. If this happens, the tape is almost certainly damaged enough
to be unusable and cutting the tape may be the easiest option. If you want
to save what is on the tape, see the section: Recovering
damaged or broken tapes.

Cassette unloading. Once the tape is fully retracted into the cassette,
the cassette can be ejected safely. If a tape loop is still sticking
out of the cassette - and you care about the recording - you will need
to be especially careful not to crinkle the tape as the cassette door
closes. It is usually not possible to get the cassette fully out
without its door closing, so the best you can do is to make sure when this
happens, the tape is flat across the gap. With care, it should survive.

On a top loader, there is usually a solenoid specifically for EJECT or
a simple mechanical pushbutton. Once the appropriate lever is pressed,
the cassette should pop up - hold the basket with one hand as you do this
to prevent any exposed tape loop from being crinkled.

On a front loader, locate the cassette loading motor and begin turning
it in the appropriate direction - this will be fairly obvious assuming
there are no broken gear teeth or other broken parts and that something
isn't totally jammed. If this is the main capstan motor, then just
continue turning as in (1). Eventually the cassette should raise up
and out.

As above, applying external low voltage power (6 to 12 VDC) to the motor
*after* disconnecting it is an alternative if you cannot gain access to its
shaft to turn it by hand.

If you have a tape loop, be extra careful not to catch it on any
guideposts or obstructions as you remove the cassette. Then, wind it back
into the cassette by turning one of the reels (you may have to depress the
release button on the bottom of the cassette with a pencil - this is the
small hole in the center near the label side.)

And in some cases, just turning the VCR upside-down and gently easing the
cassette out will work. But as noted, don't force anything.

About now (1998), a variety of VCRs manufactured by Matsushita (these include
Panasonic and several other brands) in the late 1980s and early 1990s are
dying (or at least going into a coma) due to capacitors drying up in their
power supplies. Thus, it is very common to attempt to turn on one of these
VCRs and find it totally unresponsive. (These ARE easily repairable - see the
companion VCR repair guide, "Notes on the Troubleshooting and Repair of Video
Cassette Recorders" for more info. Among the panasonic models are those
beginning with PV28 and PV48.

To determine if your VCR was made by Matsushita, search for its FCC number at:
List of FCC ID numbers. One way to identify this mechanism is to remove the top cover (power
off!): A large circuit board covers nearly everything but the area of the
cassette and a white plastic circular knob like thing (great description,
huh?) is visible poking though near the right hand side just beyond the
cassette (DON'T touch or turn it!).

You will need to remove the bottom cover.

On this design where a single motor operates everything, there is a little
tab next to the main gear (underneath near the capstan motor). Gently
pressing this tab sideways (away from the gear) allows the mechanism to cycle
through the various tape and cassette loading and unloading operations.

With the tab in the engaged position, turning the main motor or the big
flywheel counterclockwise unloads the tape from the video heads, retracts the
roller guides, and winds the tape back into the cassette, and then ejects the
cassette itself. The tab will have to be engaged several times to accomplish
all these tasks. DON'T force anything as it will move easily unless there is
something binding or you reach the end of its travel. Take care that a loop
of tape doesn't get caught behind a guide post or pinch roller. With care,
the cassette will pop out as though nothing were wrong :-).

When you extract a tape from an uncooperative VCR, there is likely to be
a loop of tape dangling in mid-air. Where the tape tape hasn't been
seriously crinkled, mashed, torn, or otherwise damaged, it may be possible
to get it back into the cassette with low risk of further problems.

WARNING: If the loop of tape is badly crinkled, mashed, at all torn, or
damaged in any other way such that it could catch the spinning video heads,
throw it away. If you must save the material, see the section:
Recovering damaged or broken tapes.

There is a hole in the bottom of the cassette about 1/4" in diameter in the
middle approximately 1 inch from the label side (front). Depress this with
a suitable tool (a pencil will usually suffice), and the reels will be free
to turn. Carefully wind the tape back into the cassette. That's it!

The most likely cause especially with old or rental tapes is that some oxide
came off of the tape and clogged the spinning video heads. The oxide on old
tapes tends to flake off and rental tapes are subject to abuse in VCRs of
questionable pedigree. They may be creased or crinkled. Sometimes more
serious damage results but in most cases, a good cleaning of the video
heads (and other parts of the transport while you are at it - see the VCR FAQ
additional info), possibly by hand, will restore your VCR to perfect health.

CAUTION: Read the following in its entirely to avoid an expensive lesson.
Improper cleaning can ruin your expensive video heads. The head chips are
very fragile and just rubbing them in the wrong direction (NEVER use an
up-and-down motion) can break them completely off.

Manual cleaning using the proper head cleaning sticks is best but requires
that you gain access to the interior of your VCR - i.e., take off the cover.

If you do not want to do this, you can try a wet type head cleaning
tape. I do not recommend the dry type as they are much more abrasive
and may cause premature wear of your video heads especially if used
regularly. When using the wet type cleaning tapes, follow the directions
and - very important - wait sufficient time for everything to dry out

CAUTION: If you do not wait long enough, the conseqauences can be
unfortunate (and impressive) - wads of tape wrapped around the drum
and caught in places where no tape should tread. Damage to the heads
can also result. Needle to say, that tape will be ruined.

To clean by hand, you will need what are called 'head cleaning sticks'.
These are covered by chamois and are safest. DO NOT USE QTIPS (COTTON
SWABS). These can catch on the ferrite cores and damage them or leave
fibers stuck in the heads. QTips can be used for cleaning the other
parts like the rollers and audio/control head but not the video heads.

To use the cleaning stick, moisten it with head cleaner or alcohol.
Pure isopropyl is best, however, the 91% medicinal stuff is ok as long
as you dry everything pretty quickly. Don't flood it as it will take
a long time to dry and you run the risk of any water in the alcohol
sitting on surfaces and resulting in rust (very unlikely, but don't
take the chance).

WARNING: Do not use any strong solvents like acetone (nail polish remover),
paint thinner, fuming sulphuric acid, etc. Some of these may eat at the
adhesives or plastic components of your VCR.

Gently hold the flat portion of the chamois against the upper cylinder
where it is joined to the lower (non-rotating) cylinder. Rotate the upper
cylinder be hand so that the heads brush up against the moist
chamois.

WARNING: DO NOT MOVE THE HEAD CLEANING STICK UP-AND-DOWN - you will break
the fragile ferrite of the heads - $$$$. Side-to-side is ok as long as you
are gentle.

Depending on how dirty your heads are, a couple of passes may
be enough. Let everything dry out for at least 1/2 hour. This
process can be repeated. However, one pass will usually do it.

In addition, inspect and clean the drum itself staying safely away from
the video head chips. The five fine grooves in the drum help control the
air bearing that the tape rides on and helps to stabilize tape motion.
These should be clear of dirt and tape oxide (DO NOT use anything sharp
or hard - the moistened head cleaning sticks will work).

WARNING: Don't be tempted to try to clean the heads when they are spinning
while playing a tape. Professionals may have their favorite technique but
just stick to the recommendations above until you have cleaned your 1000th
VCR!

So you just pulled your favorite tape from the VCR and there are two
tape ends dangling from it. Or, perhaps, your VCR has just munched on that
tape and a section is now seriously crinkled. (If it's only slightly crinkled,
see the section: Uncrinkling a crinkled tape.)
Maybe you haven't been
following the recommendations on preventive maintenance; maybe your VCR was
just hungry. In any case, what to do? The recording is, of course,
irreplaceable.

If it is only slightly crinkled, the tape may be salvageable (though it will
never likely play without some dropouts). How serious is 'serious'? Hard to
say but ironing may help. See the section: Uncrinkling a
crinkled tape.

However, if it is broken - even partially, or stretched and scrunched, I
recommend you throw it away (and make sure no one else can pull it out of
the trash and ruin *their* VCR!).. An imperfect splice or seriously crinkled
section of tape can shatter your video heads - the most expensive single part
in a VCR. If it is something you really treasure, than what I would do is
to follow the procedure below.

Note: If you have never seen the inside of a video cassette, try the following
on a couple you really don't care about first so that if you screw up, there
is no great loss. Too bad AOL doesn't send out Internet software on video
cassettes, huh?

CAUTION: The video tape itself is really really thin and easily crinkled.
Be very gentle when handling it and avoid touching the oxide (dull side)
if at all possible.

Locate a garbage cassette and disassemble it. Throw away the tape but
save everything else including the reels. See the section:
Disassembling a VHS cassette.

Construct two cassettes from the combined collection of parts you
now have. Cut out any sections of tape that got mangled.

Cassette 1 has the first section of tape (before the break) and uses
one empty reel from the garbage cassette for the supply reel. Rewind
this to the beginning.

Cassette 2 has the second section of tape (after the break) and uses
the other empty reel from the garbage cassette for the takeup reel.

Use the little plastic plugs that came from the garbage tape reels or
some adhesive tape to connect the tape to the reels.

If the break is at one end, you can just reconnect the bulk of the tape
to the reel and dispose of the original leader. Just don't rewind or fast
forward all the way to the end as the automatic end sensor will not work
(for the particular end that has been repaired). What will happen is that
instead of the sensor stopping REW or FF (as appropriate), the tape will
run to the end and the VCR will then shut down when it discovers that the
tape isn't moving. This can put additional stress on mechanical parts
and/or rip the tape from the reel. Serious damage to the VCR isn't really
that likely.

Copy to a good cassette.

Dispose of the original(s) or clearly mark 'DO NOT USE' with a detailed
explanation.'

Filip (I'll buy a vowel) Gieszczykiewicz (filipg@repairfaq.org) is a
little more definitive about this: "I find the destruction of it more
fulfilling :-) ... put it in a paper bag and smash the life out of it
with a big, heavy hammer - or a small ball hammer for an even higher
satistfaction ratio :-) "

The idea is to never have a splice in a VHS cassette. (Even a seriously
crinkled tape such as might result from a tape eating incident can damage
the heads.) It is possible to splice safely but as noted, it can be quite
costly if you don't get it quite right.

If you really don't want to go to all the effort of the transplant and the
tape is not so badly damaged that there are ragged or torn sections, here is
a simpler technique that is probably relatively low risk:

(From: Mark Whitis.)

This is the technique I have used for years on crinkled tapes. It is safer
than ironing or using the edge of a desk and your hands never need touch
the media.

It helps to have more than two hands but I usually end up using just two
and maybe a spare body part to hold the pen against the reel lock release
when necessary. The actual un-creasing part is easily done with two hands,
one to hold the tape and hold the door open and one to operate the burnishing
tool.

Use an ordinary Bic (or similar) ball point pen, clean and preferably new,
as a burnishing tool. Use alcohol to clean pen, if necessary, and allow to
dry. Because the pen is clean, smooth, soft, and round it makes an ideal
burnishing tool and can't damage the tape unless there is abrasive dust on
the tape itself.

Press the release button and open the door which covers the tape. Hold it
open for the duration and do not let it flip back. If necessary, you can use
masking tape but be careful about residue.

Use the tip of the pen in the appropriate hole on the bottom of
the tape to release the reel lock and wind out a section of tape, if
necessary. Usually, though, I do this immediately on the freshly
damaged section of an improperly ejected tape before winding it back
onto the take reels.

Re-engage the reel lock by removing pen.

Avoiding any section of the pen with embossed writing or other
rough surfaces, insert the pen into the loop of tape and pull outward
to tension the tape. Move the pen side to side burnishing the tape.
The tape will force the pen to move along an elliptical path. Do not
move the pen so far to either side that you pull the tape off the
rollers and against the plastic case.

By rotating the reels (and releasing the reel lock again), you can advance
the tape to process another section.

Wind any loose tape onto the reels and then release the tape cover door.

After using this technique, the tape should be smooth enough to be safely
played. There will be some visible degradation in the damaged section but
it will play better than if you had not un-crinkled the tape.

I always use this technique before attempting to play the damaged section
and before winding it back onto the reel (if the VCR has not already done
so).

WARNING: Discarding a seriously crinkled tape is really the safest option
from the point of view of the health of your VCR. However, if you really
must view it, there are some relatively low risk options. The following only
applies if there is absolutely NO evidence of even partial breakage or
puncture of the tape's backing (it's OK if some of the oxide has flaked off):

Just winding the damaged section back into the cassette and then FFing or
REWing as appropriate to put several layers of tape on top of it may help.
Leave it like that for a few days and then carefully return to the crinkled
section to see how it is doing. WARNING: Do all this on a VCR that DOESN'T
have an instant response transport so that there is no chance of the video
heads contacting the damaged part of the tape. You may have to do this a few
times.

Passing the damaged section (backing side) around a blunt edge (like a table
top) back and forth a few times may help as well.

(From: Paul K. Sagi (paul_sagi@astro.com.my).)

I had a go at a seriously crinkled VHS tape that my mom was wanting to show
her class at temple. I put the crinkled section between pieces of the kind
of paper that is sold for some kind of cooking use, can't remember what it
is called. I then ironed it (heat only, no steam) and it worked OK except a
couple of seconds dropout."

(From: Steven Van Assche (steven.vanassche@bluebottle.com).)

CAUTION: Use with care!!

I use the following: Get your iron, the one used for T-shirts, not your
soldering iron! ;-)

What I do:

Let the iron warm up.

Release the reel latch by pushing something in the hole on the bottom,
disengage and lift the lid, and then pull the tape gently out of the
cassette. Make sure the *backside of the tape is lying upwards*.

Now go in one pass from left to right over the crinkled part with the
iron. You can repeat this, if needed. Due to the heat, most crinkles
will go away.

Now, to play it safe, copy it to another tape. and mark the old one as damaged.

The most important factor here is heat: Too hot and you will burn the tape
instantly while too cold and nothing will happen. It is best to start from
cold to warm, and slowly increase the heat until you see an improvement...

These instructions should enable you to get inside a cassette for the purpose
of reattaching a leader that pulled off of one of the reels or to enable you
to transfer its contents or a portion thereof to another shell or vice-versa.

Peel off the label on the side or carefully slice down its center line with
a knife or razor blade. This is necessary to allow the cassette halves to
be separated.

Place the cassette upside-down and remove the five (5) phillips head screws
and set aside.

While holding the cassette together, place it label side up on a clean
surface.

Gently remove the top (along with the hinged door) to reveal the interior.

Where you have some really old tape that won't play or leaves excessive
residue on the heads and elsewhere, it may be worth considering the info
in the Curing Sticky Tape
Problems by Baking Page. I have not tried this so can't guarantee that
it will work and could make the problem worse. For really precious tapes,
consider a professional video tape recovery service.

Unfortunately, there isn't much hope if your prized wedding cassette got
recorded over with the Simpsons. In fact, in a normal VCR, recording over
a tape erases the original material twice: once using the stationary erase
head and a second time by the rotating video heads. Even the combined
might and technology of the FBI, CIA, NSA along with MI5 and the KGB would
probably not succeed. Sorry.